VII
by Lexa Brooke E
Summary: A calamity from the skies. An experiment damned from the beginning. A girl with a heart big enough to help the world but not big enough to help the soldier beside her; and the one who would lead them all to the Promised Land. This is Final Fantasy VII.
1. Prologue

**I hereby disclaim any rights to Final Fantasy VII.**

**Final Fantasy © 1997 Square Co., Ltd. All rights reserved.**

**Final Fantasy™ and Squaresoft™ are registered trademarks of Square Co., Ltd.**

**_Author's Note:_  
**

_With this novelization I hope to take the events of the original game and write them into a cohesive story._

_Because of so many recent developments with the Final Fantasy VII compilation, some of the events in the original game __may be expanded upon._

_Conversely, because some of the events that are entertaining in video games are simply not at all entertaining when put into writing, __some of the original game content may be cut short and/or left out completely. _

_(I am mostly referring to things like Golden Saucer mini-games, breeding chocobos, battles that do absolutely nothing to further the story – things of that nature.)_

_I will do my very best to match the dialogue in this novelization to the script of the game._

_I will do my very best to keep every character in-character with regard to their thoughts and feelings.  
_

_Last, but not least – if you're hoping that my novelization will favorite either Aerith or Tifa and therefore sway the love triangle in one conclusive way or another… all I can promise is that I will strive to portray things exactly the way they were portrayed in the original game. ;)_

* * *

**. :: Prologue :: .**

**Mako**

She smiled.

Kneeling in the dirty alley and holding her hands close to the broken mako furnace, the smile was a soft and hesitant one, but it was there. The noises of the city surrounded her; the automobiles and motorbikes with their loud popping engines, the Mako Reactors in the distance with their heavy rhythmic thrum. Even the louder sounds from the city plate above echoed down at her, down into the slums.

As she watched the tiny luminous flickers of life encircling her hands, she barely heard any of it. For just a precious few moments she allowed a bubble to encase her, to help her forget about the city in which she stood. The pale green brume drifting out of the rusted and broken pipe set her face aglow and warmed her fingers. Amidst the dank dimness of the alley and the cold of the night, she savored the warmth.

_Mako._

Her smile faded just a little. Much as she cherished this tiny glimpse at the Planet's precious life-blood, it saddened her all the same to see it coming from a leaky Shinra furnace.

The basket of flowers hanging from her arm swung lightly as she straightened, and the night's chill quickly reclaimed her cheeks and fingers. She peered down at the furnace for a moment longer, thinking wistfully that someday she might shimmer and float away from this city like the tiny white mako sprites shimmered and faded into the air as they floated away from the furnace.

_Well…_

_It's a nice daydream, anyway._

That's what she told herself, turning her gaze back down the path of the alley. Her body reluctantly followed suit, and before she gave herself any more time to reflect sadly on the broken furnace her legs were moving her in the direction she should be going -- back to Sector 7, back to work. The heels of her boots tapped lightly against the pavement as she moved down the alley, the tips of her soft pink dress fluttering against her calves with every step.

She came to the alley entrance and stood there for a time, pausing to allow for a slow in traffic before she crossed. The Goblin's Bar sat to her left, the theater parking garage with its monstrous 'Loveless' ad to her right. A car came down the road in her direction and veered sharply away, leaving a musty-smelling trail of exhaust in its wake.

_A busy night for the slums... _She watched the bustle around her, pressing a closed hand to her chest, the basket of flowers dangling in the crook of her arm.


	2. Reactor No 5

**. :: Chapter 1 :: .**

**Reactor No. 5**

The train had not yet come to a complete stop, but he leapt off anyway and landed with the graceful ease of a cat. His navy sleeveless fitted uniform and soft-worn boots lent him the freedom of movement he needed for such a maneuver. As he hit the pavement one hand reached over his shoulder for the hilt of the sword on his back while the other touched the ground lightly for balance. A round of gunfire filled the air, silencing the Shinra guards nearby before they ever had a chance to raise alarm. He straightened at the sound, lifted his gaze, and found what fight there was to be already over. He hesitated for a moment and glanced at their supposed leader. The hulking dark-skinned man that had just finished them off lowered his Gatling-gun arm and turned around.

"C'mon newcomer. Follow me." The man's voice was deep with a gravelly edge.

_Newcomer?_

He resisted the urge to lift an eyebrow.

_I'm a hire, not one of your flunkies. _

Despite these thoughts he complied without retort, keeping a tight grip on the hilt of his sword as he followed the rest of the group. The anticipation for what he knew lay ahead seared through him inside. His gaze moved frequently, his eyes darting around watchfully for any sign of more Shinra guards. For now, the coast seemed relatively clear.

The only woman with them moved ahead of the group and began work on unlocking the gate. The big man with the gun-arm hurried off in another direction, presumably to take care of a few more guards before they went inside.

"Wow! You used to be in SOLDIER, right?!" Another one of their group looked over at him as they neared the gate -- what was his name, Biggs? "Not everyday ya find one in AVALANCHE." The guy had a loud voice.

"SOLDIER? Aren't they the enemy?" The woman stopped her work on the gate and shot a look at him. "What's he doing with us in AVALANCHE --" She looked away, her accusatory gaze flicking back and forth between her other two companions.

_Ex-SOLDIER…_

Biggs cut her off hastily. "Hold it, Jessie -- he _was _in SOLDIER. He quit them and is now one of us." He frowned slightly and looked back at the man in question. "Say, didn't catch your name… "

His cold blue eyes traveled back and forth between Biggs and Jessie for a moment, as if gauging based on their faces how purposeful giving them his name would actually be. He decided that it wasn't very purposeful at all, since after this operation they may very well never speak to him again. Still, they stared back at him like curious children, and it seemed as if they weren't going to be comfortable with this situation until they had a name for him.

"… Cloud."

"Cloud, eh?" Biggs responded with immediate congeniality. "I'm --"

"I don't care what your names are. Once this job's over, I'm outta here." Cloud's voice was calm but carried a stiff edge. He intentionally fixed his gaze on Jessie, who turned back around without response and continued her work on the gate.

Gun-arm came running back to them.

"'The hell you all doin'?!" He barked. "I thought I told you never to move in a group!" Cloud glanced up at him impassively and watched the frown lines between his eyebrows deepen. "Our target's the North Mako Reactor. We'll meet on the bridge in front of it."

"We're in!" The electronic seal on the gate hissed and Jessie slid the door open with ease.

The group of them quickly moved inside, Cloud taking up the rear. As he crossed the gateway threshold, the gun-armed man turned around suddenly and blocked his path. "Ex-SOLDIER, huh? Don't trust ya!" It was a loud statement that actually caught Cloud a little off-guard. _Why would he make a point of announcing that? _Maybe it made the man feel more secure or something… _Moron. _"Name's Barret." Another loud and entirely unnecessary statement. Barret turned around and continued on into the Reactor zone. Cloud discarded the conversation entirely and looked upward.

Mako Reactor No. 5 rose up before him, a massive figure against the night sky. Grey clouds moved behind the building, shielding it away from the light of the moon. Cloud tilted his head backward and peered at it for a few moments, allowing the full weight of their objective here to settle around his shoulders.

If all went according to plan, there would be quite a bit of smoke joining those clouds within the hour.

His gaze shifted downward, back to the area before him. He continued on at a quick stride through the second gate, catching up with the rest of the group in the Reactor maintenance zone. They passed through a doorway which led them to a long catwalk that overlooked the Sector 5 slums far below. While the rest of them moved ahead into the Reactor, Wedge stayed behind to secure the route they would eventually be taking for their escape.

They ascended a short staircase and congregated at another locked door. Jessie was already entering the code for unlocking it when Cloud approached. "Yo!" Barret faced Cloud as he joined the group. "This your first time in a Reactor?"

"No." Cloud shook his head a bit, glancing at the locked door. "After all, I did work for Shinra."

Barret regarded him quietly for a moment and then nodded a bit. He crossed his big arms. "The planet's full of Mako energy." Like Cloud, he stared at the door, but his eyes were distant. "People here use it every day. It's the life-blood of the Planet, but Shinra keeps suckin' the blood out with these machines."

Cloud averted his gaze and resisted the urge to sigh. _Extremist hippies. _He'd heard it all once; and from Tifa -- no less. Once was enough; and if it weren't for her, he wouldn't have anything to do with these people.

"I'm not here for a lecture." He responded quietly. "Let's just hurry."

"Yeah, right," Barret nodded again, this time a little more stiffly. "Well, you're comin' with me from here on. Come on." He flicked his head toward the door just as Jessie cracked the code and slid it open. They moved into the next room, which was another maintenance room with another locked door. Cloud gave the room a brief circular glance as Jessie hacked the door lock. The floors were made up of a dingy grayish-green tile. Fluorescent lights hung above them, illuminating various exposed brass pipes and switches, equipment rigged with display monitors and exposed wires. It was actually quite a messy network for being Shinra owned and operated, and Cloud wondered at how anyone could make heads or tails of what exactly needed to be repaired should something go wrong.

As soon as Jessie had the final door unlocked, a short hallway took them to the elevator, which would take them right up into the mecca of the Reactor itself.

Cloud leaned against the elevator wall as it lifted.

Barret's deep voice broke the silence. "Little by little, the Reactors'll drain out all the life. And that'll be that." Cloud looked over at the man, wondering whether or not he was talking to himself. Barret looked back at him and raised his brow as if expecting some kind of response.

"It's not my problem." Cloud looked away. _Why is he so hell-bent on having this conversation?_

"Not your problem?!" Barret gestured with his one good hand. "The Planet's dyin', Cloud --"

"Look," Cloud cut him off. "I'm not interested, okay? The only thing I care about right now is finishing this job before security comes."

Barret's lips and brow fell into an angry scowl, but he didn't respond. Instead he angled his body away from Cloud and crossed his arms, finally choosing to let the matter drop. Cloud glanced at him impassively. Frankly, he didn't care how mad his apathy was making the AVALANCHE leader. He was a mercenary. Barret was a fool if he expected emotional investment out of a mercenary.

***

The inside of the Mako Reactor was an enormous steel cavern, the whole of it vast and open like the inside of a drum. It was not very well-lit, with a few hanging fluorescents placed over higher-traffic areas. It wasn't very often that someone actually needed to traverse this area. There were no floors, only long sets of staircases and interconnecting catwalks to differentiate between levels of elevation. The group took three descending staircases that angled down toward a central catwalk. Their boots thudded loudly against the steel-plate stairs.

From the central catwalk only Cloud and Barret continued on. A narrow beam and series of dangerous ladders had to be navigated in order to reach the very heart of the Reactor, where a control system monitored and regulated all of the Mako harvesting. It wasn't a safe path for more than a couple people. In fact, at their height the climb was nothing short of a life-risking endeavor even just for one person, but it was the only way they would be able to plant the bomb where it needed to be planted in order to ruin the Reactor.

Cloud watched his surroundings absently as he followed Barret down the final catwalk. The man must have gotten his hands on blueprints of the floor plan or something, judging by the way he knew exactly where he was going… Massive tower-like pipes plummeted down into the earth several hundred yards below. Mako pushed up from the earth surrounding the extraction pipes and rose in the form of steamy gas, filling the area below with a pale green glow.

"When we blow this, this place ain't gonna be nothin' more than a hunk'a junk." Barret said over his shoulder. Cloud caught a proud halfway grin on his face. Barret turned around still wearing that grin and approached the Reactor's central control system, bomb in hand. Cloud watched him pause for a moment, then turn backward and hold the bomb outstretched. "Yo Cloud, why don't you set the bomb." It was more like an order than a question.

Cloud glanced from the bomb to Barret. He frowned. "Shouldn't you do it?"

"Jus' do it!" Barret pushed the bomb into his hand impatiently. "I'll watch to make sure you don't pull nothin'."

He raised an eyebrow at the big man and considered refusing, but ultimately decided that it wasn't worth the argument because he didn't really care one way or the other. Might as well just get it set and be done with it, right? "Fine." He moved past Barret. _Be my guest. At least if I do it myself, I know it will be done right… _He knelt down in front of the big Reactor control unit and placed the bomb on the floor front-and-center. He could feel Barret's eyes on his back as he configured the time limit on the bomb's detonation device and set it to go off in ten minutes flat.

"Alright, done." He rose to his feet and turned. "I just gave us ten minutes, so we should probably get out of here."

Barret nodded.

The two of them turned and hurried back down the catwalk at a quick stride. They followed the path of a giant pipe back to a ladder, up the ladder and back onto the steel-beam walkway where Jessie and Biggs waited. Both of them were kneeling down low, and as Cloud and Barret got closer they figured out why. Sometime during their absence Jessie had managed to get her foot lodged within the steel-beam walkway and Biggs had worked himself up into somewhat of a panic trying to free it.

"What in th' hell?!" Barret stomped toward them, throwing up his arms. "We got less than ten minutes!"

"I tripped." Jessie mumbled weakly. "My leg got stuck… "

Cloud frowned in annoyance and knelt down in front of her. "Let go," He pushed Biggs' hands away from her foot and grabbed a hold of her ankle himself. She let out a sharp cry when he jerked it free. He looked up at her face just as tears started to well up under her eyelids. "You alright?" He stood, asking the question even though he knew the answer. She wasn't alright; he'd definitely sprained the ankle doing that. Oh well. At least she would live to escape.

Jessie was a trooper. She nodded mutely and stood, gingerly grounding the foot. Biggs moved to help support the weight on her bad side without being asked.

"A'wright then, c'mon," Barret rumbled, shouldering passed Cloud and leading the way for their exit.

***

They had to backtrack through all of the maintenance rooms on their way out and unlock every subsequent door all over again as they went. Sure, it had been stressful the first time, but this time around things were understandably worse. Jessie's bad leg was slowing them down a bit and that bomb was ticking away, getting closer to detonation with every second that slipped by.

Finally they rushed out of the elevator and onto the last catwalk, the Reactor at their backs. They had cut it close, Cloud could feel it. In fact, they should be moving more quickly still. They weren't out of harm's way yet…

He was thinking these things just as the eruption went off behind them, blowing out every other sound in the city. He watched Biggs and Jessie trip and fall together not far in front of him. He rushed forward and hauled Jessie to her feet without hesitation, carrying her more so than helping her walk. Together they stumbled toward a beckoning Wedge at the walk's end. Biggs moved on ahead and Cloud kept a strong arm around Jessie. He didn't need to look backward to know how far into the sky the explosion's fire climbed -- he could feel it's heat on his back and see right in front of him the way it lighted the whole of the city's Sector 5.

The Reactor shrieked like a banshee into the night as destruction triggered more destruction and steel tore away from steel. The catwalk groaned beneath them and Cloud's arm tightened around Jessie's ribs. He could see ahead at the threshold of their escape tunnel Wedge's mouth opening and closing but couldn't hear his voice. The catwalk groaned again and lurched. Cloud had to pause to regain his footing. Escape wasn't far, but debris from the Reactor had fallen onto part of the catwalk and it was going to give at any second. Barret came out of the tunnel, shoved Wedge out of the way and thundered toward them. As soon as he was within reach he grabbed up Jessie away from Cloud and threw her over his shoulder.

Even though he was faster, Cloud ran along behind the bigger man just because there wasn't enough room on the catwalk to give him a choice otherwise. It gave and fell away only seconds after Cloud jumped through the threshold and into the tunnel. With a sharp grinding sound the metal catwalk bent downward and crashed down into the slums below.

The sound left silence in its wake.

"That should keep the Planet going… At least for a little while longer." Biggs said. Wedge mumbled his concurrence. Cloud half expected Barret to say something, but the man remained quiet.

He exhaled and glanced around, impatient for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. "What is this place?" Being an Ex-SOLDIER he was relatively familiar with the Mako Reactor sites. Even so, this area didn't look familiar at all -- it didn't even look used. Scrap metal and debris littered the floor, and there were no lights…

"Outside every Mako Reactor, there is the entrance to a cement man-made tunnel like this close by." Jessie's small voice filled the narrow space. "They're all fairly small and they only lead down into the slums. Shinra used to pay men from the slums to work in the Reactors because it was cheap labor for dangerous work. The tunnels were built to give the workers access to the Reactors without giving them access to the upper plate. Another way for Shinra to hide its' dirty laundry."

"That's Shinra for ya," Barret interrupted. "Didn' wanna litter the nice clean streets of the upper city with an eye-sore like slum-folk, even if those slum-folk were just some guys tryin' to get to work… "

"Anyhow," Jessie continued. Gravel crunched beneath her boots as she hobbled ahead of the others and knelt down beside the wall. "Since the Reactors are now advanced enough that man-power isn't necessary, Shinra no longer hires from the slums. Because of that the tunnels have been sealed off." Though he probably couldn't see it in the dim space, she looked Cloud's way and smirked. "So even though it's a great escape route for us, there is no exit. We'll have to make our own."

Cloud arched an eyebrow.

"Alright guys," she said. "Stand back and cover your ears."


	3. Underneath the Rotting Pizza

_Very quick A/N:_

_Just want to say that I plan to update this as often as I possibly can, but due to time constraints inflicted by numerous things (job, family, other hobbies and misc. "life" obligations) I may be delayed at times. A rigid goal I am setting for myself is to update this story with AT LEAST one new chapter within every two weeks. I hope a snail-paced speed like that doesn't disappoint or deter anyone from reading. I am doing my best to write this quickly, but at the same time I reeeally want to give it the time and effort that quality work requires. So please bear with me and have faith! Thank you. ^^;_

* * *

**. :: Chapter 2 :: .**

**Underneath the Rotting Pizza**

The explosion was deafening, and the sudden burst of fire consumed most of the oxygen in the small space. The group of them clamored for the opening Jessie's bomb created and they came stumbling out coughing and struggling for air.

Cloud took a deep breath as he paced away several yards, trying to put some space between himself and the billows of smoke wafting from the hole in the cement wall. A quick glance around told him they were definitely back down in the slums, but beyond that he had no idea where they were. It made no difference what Sector you were in -- all of the slum's dilapidated buildings and junk-infested alleys looked the same…

"Alright, now let's get out of here!" Barret's voice rang out. "Rendezvous at Sector 8 Station! Split up and get on the train!" Immediately the group began to scatter,

"Hey -- " Cloud started.

"If it's about your pay, save it 'til we're back at the hideout!" Barret barked, and before waiting for any kind of response from Cloud he turned and took off. Cloud watched him for a second with narrowed eyes, trying to figure out exactly how -- while thundering his big body through alleyways and swinging his gun-arm -- a character like Barret was going to avoid suspicion. _What is he doing leading an operation like this? He's not even qualified to be a participant…_

Cloud shook his head and looked elsewhere, trying to figure out which direction he should take. There was a short flight of stairs to his left that seemed to ascend up between two street-level buildings. He took the stairs. Getting up to street-level and mixing in with some civilians was probably a good idea right now.

***

_What happened?_

People were moving quickly around her, most of them in a state of near-panic. She stood upon a cobblestone sidewalk amid the chaos, peering upward at the thick haze of dark smoke surrounding Mako Reactor No. 5.

Someone slammed into her backside, violently knocking her forward. She gasped, fell to her knees and caught herself with her hands just before face-planting into the stone. During the fall the basket had slipped off of her arm and was now rolling itself in a circle, scattering flowers across the ground. She snatched it quickly before someone could kick or step on it, only saving about half her flowers in the process. With a small groan she came to her feet and looked downward at the front of her long dress. _Oh…_ The knees of it were gray with dirt. She brushed at it in vain, then pursed her lips and glanced around.

Her eyes landed on a young man coming down the street in her direction. He wore a SOLDIER uniform, and although his stride was quick he appeared to be calm. He stared at the space ahead of him and walked with confidence. As he got closer she could make out a head of blonde hair cropped in different lengths, all sticking out away from his head with one piece hanging down beside a set of icy blue eyes.

_Hmm, well you don't see anyone running into him__... _she thought.

"Excuse me, " She caught his attention as he came within earshot. "What happened?" She brushed at the front of her dress with her free hand as he approached.

He slowed to a halt in front of her and a slight frown grew on his face.

***

For a moment Cloud simply stared at the girl in front of him. Girl? No – she was a young woman. Around his age, probably. She had a frail sort of charm to her though, like a young girl. He frowned, wondering briefly why on the Planet this girl – woman – would even want to find out what happened. _Shouldn't she be frightened and on her way home to family, like every other civilian in the vicinity? _But no; she watched him expectantly, undeterred by his frown and positioned so precisely in front of him that even her small frame would require a sidestep to move around.

"Nothing." His answer was so blatantly lacking it was almost rude, but he didn't care. There was no way he could explain the bombing to her even if he wanted to. He needed to keep moving, and… His eyes wandered. The scent of crushed flowers hung in stark contrast to the dirty musk typical of these streets. His gaze lowered, flicking from the half-empty basket hanging from her arm to the flowers scattered at her feet.

"Do you like them?"

She'd caught his wandering eyes. Like her dainty appearance, her voice was a gently alluring. Ingenuous but soft, light but armed with a decisiveness that belied naivety. He met her gaze again; this time he wasn't frowning quite so much.

"Flowers in Midgar?"

She smiled an infectious smile. "They're only one gil each… "

Staring back at her, he intended to decline immediately. The thoughts were there but before any words came to him his voice rooted itself deep in his throat. He felt… compelled to humor her. Compelled to be kind. After an awkward pause he nodded. Then, as he dug into his pocket, his voice became serious. "Listen," He produced a gil note and pressed it into her hand. "You'd better get out of here."

Her fingers closed around the note, her smile now faltered as she too became serious. She nodded once. "Thank you! Here you are," she flashed another smile as she handed over his flower, then gave his rounded shoulder armor a light pat as she slipped around him and continued on down the street. The gesture turned his head in time to catch a glimpse of her before she disappeared around a corner.

Cloud dismissed the encounter from his thoughts and turned for the opposite direction. As he rounded the building he realized he was at an overpass that crossed the Sector 5 train tracks. If he waited for the train he could make things really easy for himself by hitching a ride to the Sector 8 Station. _But who knows how long it'll be before the train comes through…_

"You there!"

His head snapped in the direction of the voice. Two Shinra city-guards sprinted toward him from the end of street. Cloud brought his Buster sword into hand as he watched them near, his stance shifting defensively. He outstretched his free arm as the closer of the two came within range. A bolt of power sang down from his shoulder armor and through his arm, rocketing out of his palm as an icy blast. His Shinra target didn't even have time to cry out before the spell hit him in full force, sending him skidding and rolling backward across the pavement like a kicked cat. The second Shinra guard readied his firearm but a lightning-quick swing of Cloud's blade sent the bullets upward and astray into the night. The slice angled up the guard's torso and through his neck. His body fell limply and bled into the street.

The sound of more boots echoed from the alley's mouth. Had he made the mistake of not moving through the Sector quickly enough? His outdated SOLDIER outfit had undoubtedly awakened suspicion. Or maybe the pretty little flower merchant wasn't as ingenuous as she seemed…

_Shit. I don't have time for this._

"That's as far as you go!"

He could survive the fight. It wasn't this group he was worried about. The thought that worried him was how many more would show up within the next few minutes.

As if on cue the ground beneath his feet began to shudder. He turned his body and walked backward toward the rail at the side of the overpass, his eyes trained on the soldiers headed for him on their way down the alley. _Come on…_ The deafening howl of the train's horn blared through the tunnel, and when it ceased he could hear the thundering of the wheels turning over the tracks. The ground continued to vibrate. He waited.

Then, when the moment was right, with one hand on his sword and the other on the rail behind him, he twisted his body and vaulted over the rail. A quick sheath of his wide sword shielded part of his back from the rain of gunfire behind him. His boots and palms slammed against the steel surface of the train car top. The speed of the train made catching balance tricky, but proved to work in his favor for dodging the bullets fired at his back.

He looked down at the surface in front of his eyes and realized how close he had been to landing through a ceiling vent. With some amount of dread he wondered, _Did the passengers hear me hit the train… ?_

Just a moment later the vent slid open.

***

"Cloud!"

It was Jessie's voice he heard first, followed by the gasps of a few others.

The stroke of sheer unbelievable luck dumbfounded him for a second. Briefly he peered through the opening to be sure it was them, then pushed his feet and legs through the small opening and dropped down into the cabin of the car. A quick glance at his surroundings told him why they were alone – this was a cargo car.

"What in th' hell?!" Barret's voice exploded behind him. "You mean to come in here makin' a huge scene?!"

"It's not that big of a deal." Cloud shot a look at him over his shoulder.

"Shit! That kinda stunt could put us all at risk -- you don't give a damn 'bout no one but yourself."

Now Cloud's body turned to face him. "You said to split up. Should I have been worried about anyone else?" Barret's lip curled into a snarl. Cloud's face was serene but his voice was frigid. "Were _you _worried about me?"

"You should'a been at the station when th' rest of us were!" The big man's voice swelled into every corner of the small cabin. "Now the guards are on the heels of this train. You put us at risk and I'm takin' it outta your pay!" His broad chest puffed out. "Wake up people!" The words were a bark. "Follow me!" He maneuvered his large frame down the aisle and into the next car. Biggs and Wedge followed, Wedge shaking his head and Biggs snickering at his back.

"Thanks for helping me out back at the Reactor. I thought Barret was going to chew my head off."

Jessie rose from her seat and flashed Cloud an apologetic smile before moving herself into the aisle. Remembering her ankle, he wordlessly moved to help her, but she waved his arm away and used the tall-stacked boxes on either side for support instead. He watched her feet carefully as together they followed the others into the next car.

_"Last train out of Sector 8 Station. Last stop is Sector 7, Train Graveyard. Expected time of arrival is 12:23AM, Midgar Standard Time… "_

Cloud took his eyes away from the intercom just in time to see Barret bully a well-meaning businessman out of his seat. The ex-SOLDIER couldn't help but roll his eyes.

"You see the headlines in the Shinra Times?" Cloud's eyes averted to follow the voice. A man and woman sat together not far down the seat from Barret. "The terrorists that bombed the No. 1 Reactor are based somewhere down in the slums… " Cloud looked away.

"Blowing up a Reactor… they sure would have had to put a lot of thought into that. They must have a pretty calculating leader… " The woman mused. "I wonder what they'll do next?"

_Calculating?_

Cloud didn't smile too often, but at that thought he came dangerously close. From the corner of his eye he could see Barret cross his arms over his chest and shift in his seat. The conversation probably had him feeling edgy. Uncomfortable.

"Hey Cloud, come check this out." Jessie beckoned with a hand at the far end of the car. Cloud paced down the aisle. He joined her in standing before a small monitor build into the side of the cabin's wall, close to one of the car's doors.

"It's a map of the Midgar rail system. See," Jessie pointed, her finger tracing circular neon green lines against the dark screen. "It shows you a complete model of the city of Midgar. There's the top plate. Did you know it's only about 50 meters above ground? Doesn't it seem higher?" She glanced his way. Cloud crossed his arms and frowned at the screen.

He already knew some of this stuff, but the on-screen visual of it was a little fascinating.

"Well, anyway," Jessie continued. "It even shows all 8 of the Reactors, and the upper-plate towns and lower slums in between them. I've read that they used to all have names, but since the upper plate was built and the old town became the slums, we lost our names… I don't know that anyone even remembers all of them… " She looked toward Cloud again, this time smiling awkwardly, as if embarrassed. "I like this kinda stuff – you know, bombs and computers and such… oh, look!"

Her finger traced a dotted line on the monitor. "This is the route the train is on. As we pass through each Sector we're going to go through a security checkpoint. The lights will cut out while they use an ID sensor device to scan our ID's. " Her voice lowered to a whisper, her eyes flickering mischief. "Don't worry though, we're using fake ones."

"Look, you can see the surface now… " Barret's guttural voice was low, for once. Cloud looked toward one of the cabin's many slim windows. "If that plate wasn' there, we could see the sky."

_A floating city… pretty unsettling scenery._

"The upper world, a city on a plate… " Barret groaned as he rose from his seat. "It's 'cause of that fuckin' pizza that the people underneath are sufferin'. The city below is full of polluted air, and on top'a that the Reactors keep drainin' out all of the energy… "

Cloud indulged himself with an inward sigh.

"But," Barret gripped the top of a seat and peered through the windows as the filth of Sector 7 rolled by. "People either don't have the money to move up, or they don't have the heart to leave their home… no matter how polluted it gets."

"Well, of course." Cloud glanced toward the window as well. "No one lives in the slums because they want to. It's like this train – it can't run anywhere except where its rails take it."


	4. Seventh Heaven

_A/N: I just want to say that I am writing this without the convenience of a beta reader, so if you notice any spelling/grammar errors or even just places where you think the wording is awkward and could be done better, PLEASE don't hesitate to point it out to me! PM me or even just include it in a review, I don't care. I am not offended by being shown where I did something wrong -- quite the contrary. I'm trying to make this thing as good as it can be, so every little bit of help along the way is greatly appreciated! Thank you._

* * *

**. :: Chapter 3 :: .**

**Seventh Heaven**

It was a bar, but it smelled more like a cozy home. Tifa had a way with choosing the best candles to mask the scent of alcohol and lingering alcoholics. Cloud paused near the entrance and cast a quick glance around. There were no such alcoholics tonight. No patrons at all, in fact. Just the members of AVALANCHE, minus Barret.

His eyes returned to Tifa.

"Marlene," Tifa bent low to address the little girl hiding behind the bar. Cloud watched her long dark hair spill over one shoulder. "Aren't you going to say anything to Cloud?"

Marlene peeked out from behind the bar, slowly at first. Cloud mustered the best smile he could for the little girl's sake. She immediately smiled back and began to scuffle her way toward him. Tifa chuckled softly and followed.

"Welcome home Cloud. Did you fight with Barret?" Marlene's eyes were wide.

In a flash Cloud's halfway smile became a smirk. Tifa laughed aloud. His eyes rose to hers and narrowed slightly, as if to ask _Did you tell her to say that?_

Tifa's eyes were glowing with amusement. "So the answer is yes, then? I should have known." She shook her head, still smiling a bit. "He's always pushing people around, but knowing you… well, I was worried." She arched an eyebrow at him.

Cloud shrugged. "It wasn't too bad."

"What's that?" Marlene pointed at Cloud's belt.

Cloud looked downward. Somehow, miraculously, his purchased flower had survived the night's harrowing events. It was missing a few petals but still mostly intact, with the stem lodged between his belt and pants. He plucked it out and handed it down to Marlene.

"Flowers in Midgar? How nice… " Tifa watched Marlene bring the flower to her nose. "You almost never see them here in the slums. It's a shame, too; maybe I would fill the bar with them… "

An opening and slamming of the door resounded behind them.

"Papa!" Marlene's eyes lit up and she swept past Cloud. He turned to see Barret scoop her up with one big arm. Barret looked even more bear-like with the girl's tiny arms coiled around his thick neck. She grinned from ear to ear. "Welcome home!" She presented her flower proudly.

He frowned curiously. "Where'd you get that?"

"Cloud gave it to me!"

Barret arched an eyebrow at her. "Did you thank him?"

Marlene, wearing a shy smile, looked back toward Cloud. "Thank you, Cloud… " She laid her head against Barret's shoulder. "We'll take care of you!"

Barret grunted.

Tifa frowned. "Are you alright Barret?"

"Great!" The word was spoken gruffly. He looked toward the table where Wedge, Biggs and Jessie sat. "Get in here, fools! We're startin' the meetin'… " Marlene in tow, Barret lumbered over to the basement elevator and rode it down. Biggs, Wedge and Jessie followed.

Cloud watched the elevator slowly lift and return to its stationary position. The whirring noise the motor made stopped, leaving the room silent. He glanced toward Tifa. She circled around behind the bar and tapped the surface in front of one of the stools.

"Have a seat?"

***

He was slow as he approached the bar. She studied him carefully as he fell down onto the stool before her, her eyes furtively scanning for any sign of injury. He didn't seem to be injured at all, not even a scratch. _Of course not; not Cloud. Was it silly of me to worry? _He stared at the bar in front of him, oblivious to her gaze. She bent a little to catch his attention. His eyes hesitantly met hers. Brilliant blue. She knew them well, and still at times they caught her by surprise. His eyes could light up the whole bar.

"How about… " She tilted her head slightly, her voice soft. "Something to drink?"

"Give me something hard."

She smiled a bit at his eagerness, but the smile quickly dimmed when his eyes wandered downward again. _Is something bothering him? _There would be little point in asking. He would deny it if there was. She bit her lip.

"Just a minute, I'll make you something."

Grateful to have a moment with her thoughts, she stepped away from the bar and turned to face the mixing counter. A wall of shelves lined with rows and rows of various bottles stood before her. _Something hard…_ She grabbed a bottle of vodka and a few other ingredients, then moved down the counter and selected a glass. The cocktail she prepared was a simple one as she knew Cloud would appreciate the simplicity.

"You know," She turned and placed the finished drink before him. "I'm relieved you made it back safely." Her eyes stayed on him while he picked up the drink and took a long swig of it. He swallowed quickly without any hint of a grimace. The glass hit the bar a little hard.

"What's with you lately?" He looked up at her. "That wasn't even a tough job."

She felt a pang of embarrassment. The look on his face was hard to read. He was always so hard to read. _Why are you so defensive? Do you not expect me to worry?_ Her brows furrowed. _Cloud…_ He stared back at her.

"I guess not." She submitted, looking away from him. "You were in SOLDIER, after all… "

He finished the drink, and the glass hit the bar hard again. Her eyes went back to him quickly. The stool scooted loudly against the floor as he stood. Wordlessly he turned and started to move toward the elevator at the side of the room.

She flushed, wanting to call him back but knowing that it would only annoy him further.

"Make sure you get your pay from Barret."

It was something.

He glanced over his shoulder. "Don't worry, I will. Once I get that money I'm out of here." At those words Tifa felt a sinking sensation in her chest. Cloud stepped onto the elevator and gripped the lever that would power the motor.

And against better judgment, she spoke again.

"Cloud, are you feeling alright?"

He looked back toward her. "Yeah… why?"

"No reason... " Her eyes stayed on him, serene and concerned. "You just look a little tired, I guess. … You'd better go down below."

Rather than continue to stare after him, she forced herself to grab a rag and at least put on the pretense of being busy. _The bar could use a good wipe down anyway…_ She snatched the glass he'd left and forced herself not to look toward the elevator again when the motor powered on. As her body began the familiar motions of work, her emotions began working themselves back into their familiar knot.

***

The bar smelled rather good. The basement was a different story. Cloud emerged from the elevator only to be hit with a pungent mixture of sweat, dirt and motor oil. Jessie busied herself with some computer setup against the far wall. Biggs and Wedge sat at a card table going over some type of blueprints. Barret abused a punching bag in the corner and beside him, on a huge crate, perched Marlene.

"Yo!" Barret stopped hitting the bag and turned toward Cloud. "There's somethin' I been meanin' to ask ya. Do ya think we ran into anyone from SOLDIER today?" He wiped the sweat from his brow with a towel around his neck.

"None. I'm positive."

Barret raised an eyebrow. "You sure?"

Cloud frowned slightly. "If anyone from SOLDIER would have encountered us today, we wouldn't be standing here."

Barret let out a hard sardonic laugh. "Don't go thinkin' you bad jus' cause you was in SOLDIER."

Cloud crossed his arms and stared mutely.

"Yeah, you're strong." Barret shrugged. "Probably all them guys in SOLDIER are. But don't forget, your skinny ass's workin' for AVALANCHE right now. Don't get no ideas 'bout hanging with Shinra."

"With Shinra?" Cloud's voice became cold enough now to turn a few heads. "You asked a question and I answered it. I'm going back upstairs. Meet me out front. I want to talk about my money." He turned on his heel and went right back to the elevator, ignoring the scoff Barret shot at his back.

He rode the elevator back up into the bar. Tifa stood at the sink with the water running. Her head turned at the sight of him; he stepped out of the elevator and turned for the door, pretending not to notice. The water shut off. He kept walking and pretended not to notice.

"Cloud?"

He could hear the sound of her boots circling around the bar.

"Cloud, wait – "

"Just let him go, Tifa." Barret stepped off of the elevator platform and let out a hacked laugh. "Looks like he's still got feelin's for Shinra."

_Holy mother, please just shut up._

Cloud turned sharply on his heel. _"I don't care_ about Shinra or SOLDIER." He faced Barret and Tifa from across the room. "But don't get me wrong – _I don't care_ about AVALANCHE or the Planet either, for that matter."

Barret wore a smug scowl. Tifa stared at him with wounded eyes that pushed him to regret his words. The only sound in the room was the sound of the news airing on the television set Tifa had set up behind the bar… _"It is expected that AVALANCE will continue its reign of terror…"_

Tifa's eyes stayed on him.

He turned away, not wanting to give her too much more of a chance. He needed to just get away for a minute, but it was futile; her boots were behind him through the door and out onto the porch. He frowned in frustration, knowing that if he couldn't be annoyed then he had to be remorseful…

She came up beside him. He angled his gaze away from her.

"Listen, Cloud,"

He felt her hand against his arm; so gentle. _Tifa…_

"Tifa, I'm sorry."

A silence crept between them, but her hand stayed with him. It brought him a measure of peace, and yet still somehow he felt cornered. Anxious. But hadn't he come for this? Hadn't he come to Midgar so that he could prove himself? To whom? And Tifa, she'd been kind enough to take him in…

The smallest of sighs left her lips. "The Planet is dying, Cloud. Slowly, but surely." He could feel her hopeful eyes on him, even though he wasn't looking. "Someone has to do something."

Cloud stiffened.

"So let Barret and his cronies do something about it." He forced himself not to succumb, not look at her. "I'm just looking for work right now. I don't want a real part in it."

Her hand slipped away from his arm. He dared not look at her. No, he couldn't look at her. He needed to get away from this for a little bit. He turned his body and started for the patio steps. He'd made it almost three steps before she opened her mouth to stop him.

"So you're – you're really leaving?"

The waver in her voice almost hurt. He stopped and turned, finally looking her in the face. "You're just going to walk right out, ignoring even your childhood friend?" The porch light above her fully illuminated her. Her eyes were shining with the beginnings of tears. He stared at her, unable to be numb to his guilt, not knowing what he should say…

"You forgot the promise, too." Her voice became bitter; accusatory.

He stood rigid, peering up at her from the first patio step. "Promise?"

"Of course you forgot… " She looked away, shaking her head. He couldn't read her expression beyond the fact that she looked sad. She pushed away from the wooden patio rail and came toward him. To his mild surprise she sat down right next to where he stood.

Feeling prompted, he sat down as well.

"It was seven years ago."

She leaned forward and slid her hands along her legs. Her silky dark chocolate hair slipped forward over her shoulder just enough to shield her face. Tifa had such a soft voice when she spoke quietly. Cloud leaned forward a little too, folding his hands together over his knees.

"Do you remember that well in Nibelheim? The wooden one… "

She tucked her hair behind her ear and glanced over at him. He nodded. "Yeah. That's where we met before I left town, right?" She nodded in return. Her eyes were no longer brimming with tears, but still wide and vulnerable. "Heh," He looked away, staving off the guilty feeling again. "It was pretty cold that night. I remember wondering whether or not you'd show… "

"_Sorry I'm late. You said you wanted to talk to me about something… ?"_

"_Come this spring, I'm leaving for Midgar."_

"I was so disappointed." Tifa's spoke wearing a small, embarrassed sort of smirk. "All the boys were leaving town around that time."

"It was different for me, though. I wasn't just looking to get out of Nibelheim. I was leaving to join SOLDIER."

"_I'm going to be the best there is, just like Sephiroth."_

"_Sephiroth… the Great Sephiroth. Hmm… Isn't it hard to join SOLDIER?"_

"_I probably won't be able to come back to town for a while."_

Tifa chuckled. "And even though I was disappointed, I was so impressed, too." She glanced at Cloud again. "But more than anything I was scared to see you go, to lose contact completely. I hoped that I might read about you in the newspaper or something… "

Cloud shrugged. "Not easy to make it into the papers."

"_Hey, why don't we make a promise? Umm… if you get really famous, and I'm ever in a bind, you come save me. Alright?"_

"_What?"_

Tifa smiled hesitantly. "And then I made you promise me that if I needed you, you would come back." She glanced up at Cloud again but then looked away quickly, as if embarrassed. Cloud's eyes stayed on her. Her mind seemed to be just turning and turning, but all of her words came out halted and unsure. He was not used to seeing this much vulnerability in her. His memories of Nibelheim didn't recall such a self-conscious girl. Had the city changed her so much? Or should he blame his absence… ?

"Whenever you're in trouble, your hero comes and rescues you, right?" Tifa leaned forward even further and let her hair slip away from her ear. "I think every girl probably wants to experience that at least once."

"_Come on! Promise!"_

"_Alright… I promise."_

Tifa stayed bent forward with her arms wrapped around her knees. He felt helpless. He was just an Ex-SOLDIER. She wanted to take down Shinra. She wanted to change the world. How much could she expect from him? What could he do?

"I'm not a hero, and I'm not famous, Tifa." Defeat laced his words.

"But you can still keep your promise." She sat up straight again and turned her head to face him. "You were good enough for SOLDIER – "

The front door swung open loudly and stopped her mid-sentence. Cloud stood from the step and turned to face Barret. The old wooden porch groaned underneath the big man's feet as he crossed it in a few steps.

"Here, big time SOLDIER, before you take off – a promise is a promise, your pay." He shoved a bundled wad of gil notes into Cloud's hand.

Cloud looked down at the bundle. "What, this is my pay for helping you blow up a Mako Reactor?"

Tifa stood. "Cloud – "

"You got the next mission lined up?" Cloud's eyes returned to Barret. "I'll do it for 3000."

"What?! That's twice what I just gave you!" Barret looked like he was ready to punch him.

"Barret!" Tifa bounded up to the porch from her step. "We're really hurting for the help, right?"

Barret scowled at her. He turned to Cloud. "2000!"

Without allowing any more time for negotiations Barret wheeled around and stomped back into the bar, muttering under his breath. Cloud couldn't make out what he was saying, but that didn't really matter. He was probably just swearing to himself.

"Thank you, Cloud." His attention moved to Tifa. Her eyes sparkled like rubies beneath the bright yellow porch light, and she wore the most radiant grin.

* * *

_If you've got time to review, I'd **love **to hear some feedback on a few things in particular. Namely a) how I handled the flashback scene in this chapter and b) how you feel about the POV switches (did a little bit of Aerith in the last chapter, did a little bit of Tifa in this one... I plan to keep doing it with all sorts of characters, but how much I do it really depends on how much you (the readers) like it. I intend to have this story roughly 75% Cloud's POV and 25% Other, just 'cause some scenes are a lot more relevant to certain characters. But if nobody likes that plan then of course plans may change. Let me know what you think! Thank you. ^_^ _


	5. President Shinra

**. :: Chapter 4 :: .**

**President Shinra  
**

After waking, washing and dressing Cloud rode the elevator down from the second-floor living space. He emerged with eyes as purple-rimmed as if he hadn't slept at all -- and actually, he felt as if he hadn't. The beds were small and stiff, and Barret's snoring...

"Good morning," Tifa greeted him from across the room. "Did you sleep well?"

"Can _you_ hear him?" His scowling eyes went to Barret. "Because I can. Through a wall."

Barret let out a huff of contempt, which revealed just how very remorseful he felt.

"Coffee?"

Cloud looked back to Tifa. "We don't have time."

"No, we don't." Barret put his mug down and rose.

Tifa rose as well. With one eyebrow arched slightly, Cloud watched her take a glove secured to the belt at her hip and carefully pull it over her fingers. Two green materia lodged into the back of the glove reflected the ceiling fan light above her. As if sensing his curious stare, she glanced in his direction as she pulled on the second glove.

"What? I'm going this time."

_Tifa, it's too dangerous._

Before his thoughts had a voice, Barret spoke. "Our target's the Sector 5 Reactor. Head for the station. I'll fill everyone in on the train. Oh, and Cloud -- " Reluctant, Cloud tore his frowning gaze from Tifa. " -- the man at the Weapon's shop left a message on the machine this mornin', I guess you got somethin' to pick up. Don't be late at the station."

Cloud nodded, then quickly his attention turned back to Tifa. "If you're going, what about Marlene?"

"Marlene is staying behind with Biggs and Jessie. Jessie's injury would slow us down."

In just the sound of her voice Tifa told him softly but firmly not to argue, and so he didn't.

***

Cloud arrived at the train station and, after failing to spot any of the others, seated himself at the end of one of the many wooden benches positioned near the boarding area. His face was customarily devoid of all emotion until a teenage couple stumbled out of the arriving train together giggling and laughing and proceeded to passionately suck eachother's faces almost right in front of him.

His gaze averted. _Are you kidding me..._

"Hey! Take yo show somewhere else!"

Horror crossed their faces as their amorous union broke and they found themselves staring at Barret's pointing gun-arm from several yards away. It was hard for Cloud not to smirk at the sight of their retreat.

Somewhere during the short exchange Tifa had closed their distance with a quick trot. She plunked down onto the bench next to him with a laugh. "Even from far away, you look so annoyed."

"Not as annoyed as him." Cloud watched the big man lower his gun-arm and approach. "Does he always make a point of swinging that thing around at civilians? He could be prosecuted... "

Tifa laughed again. "Barret's not going to shoot anybody. He's just... excitable."

"Not the word I would have chosen." Cloud rose.

"Ohh, you... " Tifa followed.

***

Only after Barret had played a rousing game of _intimidate every passenger in the car via cursing and yelling, especially the Shinra-employed train personnel_ were they able to find their seats at the back of the car. Cloud and Tifa sat side-by-side while Barret occupied a seat directly in front of theirs. A faint vibration of the seats began as the train rumbled to life.

"Hmm, feels like we're finally leaving... " Tifa peered downward out the window beside her.

Cloud leaned forward a bit. "So, what exactly is the plan today?"

"Hah! Listen to this guy," Barret twisted around in his seat. "Takin' us seriously now, or what?"

"Just because I'm not emotionally invested in this doesn't mean I'm not serious about it."

Sensing a confrontation, Tifa turned from the window. "Barret, Jessie said we can't use our fake ID's this time. I guess they're only passable once. What are we going to do?"

Barret shrugged. "We'll have to get off before the first checkpoint and hike it th' rest of the way there."

"Won't the checkpoint happen while the train is in motion?" Cloud arched an eyebrow. Barret grinned. Cloud sighed. "Are you seriously planning that we jump? There's a good chance one of us will break a limb."

"Heh," Tifa shook her head. "I bet Shinra would be so proud to know."

"Tch, they won't be proud when we blow the shit outta another one'o their Mako reactors."

Cloud bristled. "Keep your voice down."

Barret laughed. "What, Spiky? You wanted to know the plan."

"I didn't ask you to announce it to the entire car." Cloud shot back. He sat back in his seat. _A nickname inspired by my hair. That's clever. Maybe I should call you Jar._

"Look, we're gonna do the same thing we did yesterday. Jessie gave Tifa entrance codes for all the doors. We just need to be quick and careful about it."

"After what we did yesterday, don't you think Shinra will have amped up their security at the reactor sites?"

"Maybe so." It was Tifa who answered Cloud. "That's why we chose not to bring Jessie, even though she's more familiar with the doors. Her injury would have put the whole mission at risk."

Cloud nodded. "Okay, so is this reactor exactly the same on the inside? Do we know?"

"Fool, you think I'd lead us in there blind?" Barret tapped his index finger against his temple. "I got the blueprints for these things in my head."

***

"Those light beams are Shinra's security sensors. We can't pass through them."

Even in a deadpan tone Cloud was very adept at conveying his annoyance. He stood with arms crossed, staring at a several parallel neon green laser lights shining straight across the path before them. After knocking out a member of the train personnel with the help of Barret's gun-arm, the three of them had made a quick and perilous escape off the back of the rear car. Going into this plan, Barret thought the tunnel they were in would end before they came to the security checkpoint. Barret was wrong.

Tifa bit her lip. "What are we supposed to do now?" She looked to Barret.

"Hell if I know."

Cloud sighed. "Well, we either need to find a way out of this tunnel or around the sensors. If we find one, we'll probably find both."

"This may be a bad idea, but… I think I saw some kind of duct chute back a ways." Tifa shrugged.

Without any other ideas to explore, the three of them backtracked their way several yards through the tunnel with Tifa in the lead. As they approached what she'd seen she pointed it out, and the first of either of their reactions was Barret's laugh.

"That's one damn tiny hole. You seriously think I can squeeze in 'ta that?"

Tifa shrugged and moved closer to take a look inside. "It doesn't look like there's anything in here that could get us stuck."

Barret laughed again. "Yeah, maybe not you an' skinny ass here. Jus' the walls of that thing could get me stuck. Cloud, what'ya think?"

"Well, if there aren't any protrusions we could get stuck on, that also means there's nothing in there to grip -- should we need to climb back out." Cloud shrugged. "It's very dicey, but how much further do you think we'd have to walk down this tunnel before we find a better alternative?"

Tifa pulled her head out of the duct and turned to face the two men. "And who knows if there _is_ another alternative. We might just backtrack ourselves to the next sensor."

Barret rumbled out a gruff sigh.

"I'll go first." Cloud stepped forward. "I'll try to use my feet and hands to slide slowly. Tifa -- don't jump in until you hear me shout an OK. And Barret – you go last."

_In case you do get your ass stuck._

Cloud climbed into the shady hole feet-first. As luck would have it, the duct wasn't as much of a downward chute as much as it was a crawl space between the train's tunnel and what Cloud assumed to be some type of engineering facility for the train itself.

Except… unlike the train, this area didn't appear to be in use. It was vast and cavernous, and all comprised of metal and all somewhat dirty and dated in build. Very much like the interior of a Mako reactor, only no Mako and slightly better lighting. There was one tall ladder he could see from where he stood that lead right up to a very illuminated doorway.

_I wonder if that doorway somehow leads to the upper-plate?_

He shouted his OK back through the tunnel, and a few minutes later Tifa and Barret emerged to join him.

It didn't take much longer than a half-hour of gallivanting around before the three of them were able to maneuver across various catwalks and stairs and ladders and wind themselves up in an area that didn't seem to circle them right back around to the very first room. The more they saw the more the place resembled a reactor interior.

Eventually their trek lead them into an area even more cavernous than the initial one. The place had a familiar green glowed inside of it, a glow that gradually died away as it emanated upwards. Cloud rushed to the closest stretch of railing and peered over.

_Mako._

He wheeled around to face the members of AVALANCHE. "We're in a Reactor."

Both of them frowned in slight disbelief, both of them came to the railing.

"Shit… "

"We haven't exactly secured an escape route, and security could bust us at any moment." Cloud glared at Barret. "You said you knew your way around these things. Which way do we go now?"

Barret frowned. "This area ain't included in any of the blueprints I've seen – my best guess is to keep moving to higher ground."

Cloud pushed away from the railing and removed his Buster sword from its sheath. "Tifa, stay close – "

" -- I'm fine." Her hard answer nearly cut him short.

Quickly they moved toward the tallest nearest staircase available from the platform upon which they stood. They were fortunate not to encounter any Shinra security or personnel; even more fortunate that the area the staircase delivered them to seemed to be an area Barret felt he could navigate. The area felt somewhat familiar to Cloud as well. It was not unlike the Reactor they had been through last night.

A central catwalk lead to the very heart of the place, where they would once again be placing their bomb. Without some form of quick escape secured, Cloud personally felt that placing a bomb was the most foolish thing they could be doing at the moment, but now that they were here… there was no way he would be able to talk the two idealistic AVALANCHE members out of it.

Perhaps if it were only he and Barret, he would consider abandoning the mission entirely in favor of attempting it again in a better-planned fashion. But with Tifa along…

_Damnit._

He felt incredibly edgy as he followed behind them along the catwalk, his eyes moving from one point of focus to the next, expecting shouts of alarm to rise at any moment…

Some type of alarm sounded, but it wasn't a shout. It was the high-pitched whistle of a teapot. No, it was the blaring pitch of a smoke alarm… In a split second of panic he looked upward, not able to place the direction of the sound. It sounded as if it were coming from inside his own head. It lifted to a painful degree and he fell to his knees.

It was coming from inside his head. He felt as if his eardrums might burst.

_What?! _

Tunnel vision closed in around him. He placed his palms against the cold steel floor.

***

_"Papa… ?"_

It was Tifa's voice – but younger, and laden with dread.

Cloud lifted his head.

A long slender sword lay across the ground in front of him. Beyond that, Tifa, and beside her a fallen man. Her father? The hat she wore veiled her face from him – a brown suede western-style hat… She used to wear it back in Nibelheim…

_"Sephiroth… "_ She knelt over the fallen man. She stifled a sob. Cloud attempted to push himself to his feet, but there was no strength in his arms. Everything felt so… bleary.

_"Sephiroth did this to you, didn't he?!"_

Her shoulders trembled as she gathered her father's head into her lap.

"_Sephiroth… _

_SOLDIER… _

_Mako Reactors… _

_Shinra…_

_Everything!"_

She clamored to her feet, fists clenched at her sides.

"_I hate them all!!"_

The vehement cry sent a cold chill rattling through to Cloud's heart.

***

"Damn man, get a hold of yourself!!"

His eyes snapped open. His vision focused in on Barret's square shoulders towering above him.

"You all right?"

Tifa moved into view, lowering her face much closer than Barret had dared come. Her eyes were wide and searching his. _… Tifa._ Although his head throbbed so hard it made him dizzy, he nodded. And he must have grimaced, because at that moment a frown crossed her brow.

Cloud braced his hands behind him and forced himself to sit upright.

_How long did I hold us up… ?_

"I'll set the bomb," Barret stepped around the two of them.

Tifa rose to her feet and offered a hand. With the help of her surprisingly strong grip he was able to haul himself up as well. He nodded his gratitude and she smiled in return. Barret came back to them.

"Since we don't have an escape plan set up, I gave us extra time."

"Hmm." Tifa pursed her lips thoughtfully. "Should we just try going back the way we came?"

Cloud leaned against the rail for support. "That will just take us right back to the train tunnel."

"Most reactors are set up the same as far as exits go." Barret shouldered in between the two of them and backtracked their steps along the catwalk. "Follow me, I can get us out."

They followed his lead, and Cloud was somewhat pleasantly surprised to see that he hadn't been exaggerating his knowledge. If they had been able to enter this reactor according to their original plan, they would have had a very clean entrance and exit, just as with last night's mission.

Tifa had a slightly difficult time getting a few of the complicated door codes entered correctly, while Cloud had a difficult time staving off his lingering headache. Barret found it difficult not to damn the two of them to hell for moving too slowly. But they all managed.

They emerged from the reactor onto a platform very much like the one that had nearly falling out beneath Cloud the night before.

The entirety of Midgar's Upper-Plate City sprawled into the horizon before them; only this time illuminated by daylight. It was mostly concrete and steel, so industrial, so _Shinra…_ and yet nothing like the side of Shinra one encountered in the slums. Up here everything was new, and clean, and sterile and carefully placed. Perfectly geometric windows coated the taller buildings and reflected the blue sky. Dark asphalt highways weaved through the buildings and each other, suspended by high pillars and lined with sleek vehicles.

Cloud took in a breath, and the air felt… fresh.

"Looks can be so deceiving." Tifa murmured. His gaze moved to her. She stood close by, staring at the same sight. Her eyes depicted a hardness that was so apart from who he knew her to be. He looked away.

"Shit," Barret sidestepped around to stand in front of Tifa. Cloud followed his gaze.

From around the corner of the platform a troupe of Shinra infantrymen marched, and at their backs followed a squat, oily-faced man with a dark maroon suit and a receding blond hairline. Cloud recognized him immediately as none other than the President of Shinra Incorporated.

"Why is the President here?" Tifa moved a half-step closer to Cloud.

The infantrymen positioned themselves in a protective formation around the important man.

"Hmm," He snatched the cigar from his mouth and eyed them all through a thin huff of smoke. "You must be those infamous terrorists."

"AVALANCHE." Barret glared at the man like a wild dog.

President Shinra cackled his contempt. "You'll forgive me my dramatics; I wanted to see your faces for myself."

_How long has he known we've been inside this reactor?!_

Knowing full and well that he stood before these men dressed in a SOLDIER's uniform, Cloud stepped forward. President Shinra eyed him curiously for a moment, almost as if amused.

"So, did you quit SOLDIER so you could join up with these eclectic imbeciles?"

Cloud's eyes narrowed viciously. _I quit... because...  
_

"Remind me, what is your name?"

"Cloud."

President Shinra smiled. "Ah, well, it doesn't ring any bells. Of course, you can't expect me to remember the name of every SOLDIER. Unless, however, that SOLDIER has some form of great worth to me. For example, Sephiroth."

"Don't none of that shit matter!" Barret's voice rumbled above all others. "In a few minutes this place is gonna blow!"

"Yes, well," President Shinra exhaled another puff of smoke. "I have the funds to rebuild. Unfortunately, even if you were as wealthy as me, a life is something that cannot be bought. Enjoy your last moments as free men, because you now have two choices. Surrender to my men or be killed."

At least a dozen infantrymen stood before them cradling loaded rifles.

_We are easily outnumbered and within point-blank shot range. The very idea that we can fight our way through this utterly defies logic._

Though his hand gripped the hilt of his sword, Cloud's eyes were cautious.

Barret slid one foot along the steel catwalk path and brought up his gun-arm. A huge explosive blast nothing like the customary ammunition he fired blasted out of the end of his weapon, ripping a hole straight through the center of their numbers and setting several of them on fire right where they stood. Cries reached far into the sky and chaos ensued.

Cloud and Tifa each brushed by on either side of Barret, Cloud with his sword raised and Tifa gripping her materia-gloved hand at the wrist. Tifa swung her arm in an arcing motion and a bolt of pure energy cracked the air like a whip. It met one of the rushing infantrymen across the face and another at the arm, electrocuting them to their knees.

Cloud turned his back to face Tifa and raised his sword to slam the gun out of his own attacker's hands. The gun clattered away and slid off the platform. Barret pounded ahead of them both, sending a splay of gunfire into the fray. With a path clearing, Tifa followed. Cloud dispatched of his unarmed opponent in a clean swing and turned his head to glance in their direction.

President Shinra was nowhere to be found.

A mechanic wrenching filled the air around them. A large, spider-like monstrosity of a machine appeared from around the same corner the infantrymen had turned before. Most of them were dead or had retreated, but the few that remained rallied behind the mechanical thing. Tifa bravely vaulted herself into position before it, and before she could even raise her glove its arm swatted her aside like a rag doll. She stopped rolling at the very edge of the catwalk. She appeared to try to push herself up, and she couldn't.

Cloud tried to close their distance as quickly as he could while Barret emptied a long round up into the body of the steel beast, then finished with another momentous canon-blast. The machine sputtered for a fraction of a second and then exploded, throwing Barret onto his back and Cloud a couple of feet.

The steel beneath his feet croaked and slanted. Cloud grabbed a hold of the railing, but it began to bend as well. _No… _Suddenly the air left his chest and he could feel his feet dangling freely. He realized with cold certainty that part of the catwalk had either broken or bent away completely.

"Cloud!" His eyes moved to Tifa, who crawled toward him frantically as his hands slid along the hanging rail. "Cloud, hold on!!" She was moving as if badly injured, but clearly cared nothing for her own pains. In her state she could very well stumble her way over the edge trying to help him.

_Tifa… stay back._

The damaged catwalk lurched sharply again, and he lost his grip.

* * *

A/N: Sorry this chapter took a little longer than usual. I found it a bit difficult to write. For one thing; I personally found the whole "blowing up the reactors" portion of the game rather uninteresting, so naturally it's not enthralling for me to write. I have tried my best though. Also, with this chapter there were a few places where I had a bit of trouble deciding just how I could translate gameplay into words without it all seeming a bit silly. You have to admit, this particular segment of the game is a LITTLE silly in how utterly strange everything falls together without being totally explained for the player. The game doesn't really tell you where you are when you randomly take that tunnel into the Reactor, so I had a little bit of trouble explaining that whole situation. And the running-from-car-to-car scenario on the train got cut because writing it felt unnecessary; it would have just been boring filler words.

I apologize for how much of the Airbuster battle dialogue got altered/butchered/cut. To be honest, I don't consider it a very crucial battle to the overall storyline, (in fact it was all rather cheesy) so that perspective of mine definitely affected the degree of effort I put into matching it word-for-word to the game script. I would rather cut the silly/cheesy lines out than try to bend them to the seriousness I am attempting to handle these characters with. And President Shinra was a little difficult to write because... well... read the game script. He's just a complete douche of a villain. I tried to un-douche him a little. He's still cheesy though, I know. I'm sorry.

Also, please don't hate me for leaving Jessie behind. I thought it made sense because a) she was injured (and don't tell me "she could just take a potion," because in writing a story that is just a total cop-out -- am I gonna write in a Phoenix Down for Aerith? NO. XP) and b) no sane adult would have left Marlene to take care of a BAR by herself ALL MORNING. I like to believe that Tifa and Barret and Cloud are all sane adults.


End file.
